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Retail space available

Kim Fundingsland/MDN Big box retailers going out of business has been a trend throughout the United States. Recently Herbergers, a long-time retailer at Minot’s Dakota Square Mall, announced it was closing its doors.

There is ample commercial retail space available within the City of Minot. Maybe that’s good. Maybe not.

Minot has not escaped a national trend that has seen the closure of big box retail stores. The former Sears store in Dakota Square Mall remains empty. It closed in 2017. Another large Dakota Square retailer, Herbergers, has announced they are calling it quits too. The closures mean that nearly 134,000 square feet of retail space just from those two businesses is available at Dakota Square.

Elsewhere, there’s other commercial space sitting vacant in the city. On North Hill the recently closed Vegas Hotel is vacant. Nearby is the former Rollin’ Pin restaurant, which has been closed for several months with a “for sale” sign out front.

Two former Pizza Huts in Minot, one near Dakota Square and the other on South Broadway, sit empty. However, Pizza Hut did open one new location not far from its old location on South Broadway.

Then there’s two buildings immediately northwest of Dakota Square that have been vacated – the former Wells Fargo branch building and another that most recently contained an embroidery business. Not far away is another empty stand-alone building that housed Fuddruckers restaurant.

Kim Fundingsland/MDN The former Sears location remains empty at Dakota Square. Sears ceased operation at the Minot store in 2017.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, speaking recently in Williston, claimed Fargo has a million square feet of open retail space from big box stores that have called it quits. He said he expects more such closures in the future as he continues to push his Main Street Initiative as a method that’s not as “catastrophic to the tax base.”

When businesses close the city loses tax revenue and people lose jobs. Replacing both is not easy in a time when consumers can quickly access a myriad of options through the internet.

“It just takes time,” said Tim Mihalick, 1st Western Bank, when asked about filling available retail space. “Some of the things Governor Burgum is doing will help us but we need to take the bull by the horns and do it. Let’s get after it from a business perspective. We as a city need to empower our local businesses to do things rather than look for others to come in. Let’s quit searching for outside vendors and consultants to tell us what we already know.”

Jeff Stremick, Signal Realtors, says Minot got “a little over-built” in 2012-13 and the city has some catching up to do. He noted that there was no new commercial construction currently underway in the city.

“It will correct itself,” said Stremick. “Some stuff is still moving but not like it was. Commercial lots are not moving at all but a lot of properties are moving. They just have to be priced right. That’s the thing about it.”

Kim Fundingsland/MDN Sign of the times?

While the amount of commercial property available in the city seems high, it has not yet reached a critical stage. In fact, says Mihalick, it may not be far from what has occurred in years past.

“I don’t think it’s out of the norm but it is going to take some work,” said Mihalick. “Retail has challenges in front of it but there are customers who still want to come into a store and see what they are buying. That’s my thoughts.”

It is a possibility that some of the available commercial space in the city will be sub-divided to accommodate smaller retailers or non-retail businesses such as fitness centers or general office space. That is a growing trend elsewhere as retailers adjust to meet the demands of a public that has become increasingly attracted to the selection and convenience of purchasing items on the internet.

Kim Fundingsland/MDN Among the commercial properties sitting empty is this one located immediately northwest of Dakota Square Mall. Most recently it housed a custom embroidery business.

Kim Fundingsland/MDN The former Fuddruckers building remains for sale in southwest Minot, one of several commercial spaces currently on the market in the city.

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